Pakatan persists with NS rally, targets 50k supporters

Despite resistance from the local police, Pakatan Rakyat is determined to hold a mega-rally in Seremban this Saturday, hoping to gather 50,000 supporters in this first leg of its nationwide roadshow.

Negeri Sembilan DAP chief Anthony Loke has dismissed Seremban OCPD Saiful Azly Kamaruddin's statement that permit will not be issued for the rally.

"The question of permit does not arise because there is nothing such as a rally permit under the Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011. I don't think he (Saiful) knows what he was talking about," Loke said when contacted yesterday.

Saiful reportedly said that police will not give a permit for the rally because the organiser had failed to complete the application form before the deadline.

However, Loke pointed out that the law only requires assembly organisers to inform the police before holding the rally, and Pakatan has done so at least 10 days before the date of the rally.

"The rally will be held at a private empty land. We have obtained verbal permission from the landowner.

"We will proceed with the rally as planned. We do not foresee any problem. We hope the police can give full cooperation," said the Rasah MP.

The vacant land, the size of a football field, is located at Taman Seremban Jaya, about six kilometres southeast of Seremban.

NGOs invited to speak at rally

Loke also elaborated that the mega-rally will kick off a string of roadshows to be held in each state in the run-up to the 13th general election.

The roadshows will culminate in a grand finale scheduled in January next year.

Dubbed ‘People's Uprising Assembly', the rally in Seremban will highlight issues pertaining to public interests in the past one year, including the Lynas rare earth plant, petroleum hub in Pengerang, Johor, electoral reform demands raised by Bersih and the oil royalty demand of the Kelantan government, said Loke.

"We want to combine all forces of the civil society. Representatives from NGOs that champion these issues will also be invited to speak during the rally".

The programme will begin at 4pm with performances and speeches by Pakatan youth leaders, followed by the major ceramah at 8.30pm featuring PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.